Friction-clutch for automobiles and other purposes.



PATENTED APR. 30, 1902.

' m. P. MoMAHON. FRICTION GLUTOH FOB AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLIOATIOH IILEILMAY 4, 1906.

fix-wanin F1526. wiz zzassas which the following is tispecitiention, retertime being .nnide. therein to the nerompitnyin; drawings.

The object of my present invention is to provide a clutch more ezipeciiilly adopted for use in co'm'iertion wit ht hiring meehnnism of automobiles, or with other high speed nun ehinery; and in which the clutch-opernting mechanism will not be ott'ected, or iiiibie to disturbance of its adjustment so as to ncciden tally t'tiro'iv outi o in, b the centrifugal or Other forces thw'eloped by reason ot tiny high speed in tinned. Also, to iiti'ord 2 i'ilttiltfitifilil Whieh will run with little irirtion and \l'ttlt, and by whii h the elutrh cnn be opernied with ense. 'liiese objerts l. :ittnin by the mechanism ilhistrnted in the drawings; the pnrticulzir subject mot t er ehiiined being hereinafter titlltilitl) speci'licd.

1n the ttttfltitpttttj'ilrif drawings, Figure l represe its ii lnilt' side, hrdt' set-tiomdvien ot' ii CltttCll. met-l truism emnodyin; my invention. Fig. 3 iso section. at line X .i on l ng. t, loadiing toward-the head of the eltitrhi Figsv It and represent side and iron! vie-it's, nnd Fig. .3 it

lies

section, zit line i' 1', of one of the rhnnp-iictutiring levers separately l iev H shows the detail oi" the lever-seat bcnring- )lntia Fig. 7 is a fore View ol' the detnchnble couplingpieco whereby the (ltllt'it may be connected with the opertitinn-wheel or gent ot nn untomobile-driring mechanism; or to tttl inechtruism wherein the clutch is embodied Fig. S is it fr igllttltitti') \itW ot' n portion oi the Clutch-disk provided with mennst'or holding the chnnp-mljnsting nut, nnd li g shows the inner litre of on" of the chimpridjnsting: nuts.

Referring t the drnwings. indirntes the shrd't or wi'le. H the wheel whit-h in he present; illus tion is the power meznher. and which not Jt ii :sprot'lut puller. sheav or gent oi on a. itom: l ile-driring or it her ioeehnnism. 552th! wheel or gem is mounted to turn loose on the shzrlt or axle, nnd may be optrtited in tiny suitable or well known uninner'. y

it and it indicate the chunpint: dislis, 21nd i the central or i'rietiou dish ot' the clutch, die:-

iliitiiil NT UFFICE.

WON, Oi WtdtCES.ER, MASSACHUSETTS.

r-EMIEL'LJTKTA E FCFt AU'l'QMUEULES AND OTl-IER PURPOSES.

eatiori of Letters Patent.

t i l i l l i Patented April 30, 1 90'7.

Icntior. filed May 1110\"3! Serial 315,13l.

posed between the chunpwlisks; and f and (Z irietiounl hict--pnel 1iigs, ot' \UltfllllZttl fiber or other suitable ninternd, arranged between the diskd'nees at (ttt'lt side thereof in well known manner.

it] indicates o eoupling-ph1te or member provided with menus, as screw holes and serews, for its iittnohment to the driving wheel B, and also prorided with 11- series 01" hiterolly projecting' cogs or teeth 0 which intermesh with it series of cogs orteeth 4 formed u )0!) and projecting from the frietion-disk l.

The disk l) of the tltllt'lt is secured or fixed on the zrxle or slnit't so as to o erzite therewith; tlIHl the two disks Ullt l) are conneeted by the drnft-bolts l, whieh are airrnnged in opposite pairs with their bend ends respectively connected to the heads 5 of the or tension for clmnpin; the l'riction members it indicates n collar or hub secured to the shiil't A adjacent to the wheel 13, nnd which lteepsthe wheel at position against the clutchnieehmiisni and prercnts sepii'iition ot the coupling members b and t, except when it is desired to take the meclmnism apart for inspcction, or any purpose that requires its disnssiwnbling.

.- .s a feature of in) invention. the clnmp- 9o netimting nrms or levers K are each mode with n brood pivoting bend 5 of suitable. dimension to occupy the spore between the pair of drul't-bolts l, and said lever-bend is pivotolly connected to the heads ol the two bolts 5 by n pin or iixle 7 that. posses transversely throughthepnrts. 'lhe'pinT,nssliowii.isi'e tztittt'tl by cotter-pins h inserted through its ends. The arm of the lever K extends inwnrd from the bend toward the shaft A mid IOO it rotiitnble t'ulcrnm-bvming roller 1H supported within it bore cxtcnditr; tilting the side or nose of the lererhend, pnrnllel with the" pivotqims 7 es ttttllttllttl particularly in '1 2%. t tliiil 5. 'lhe roller 10 is contined l t t within the lever bend with 21- portion ot its no t ilindrieol tin-e projecting therefrom, whieh portion rolls against the surface of the disk D, or a bearing-plate 12 of hard steel which is arranged on the face of the disk/as indicated, serving asa fulcrum seat for receiving the pressure of the clamp lever action. The heads of the pair of draft-bolts I fit against the ends of the lever-head 5 and its roller 10, and serve to support the lever and its axis pin 7, and to confine the lever-head,- together with the roller, in proper relation laterally, without requiring lu s or projections to be formed upon the dis i D therefor.

The fulcrum bearing roller 10 is best provided with means to prevent its escape endwise from the lever head, in case the lever is taken out. Such means may consist of a groove cut in the roller and a small pin 9 inserted in the lever head and engaging such groove. (See Figs. 3, 4 and 5.)

Each of the lamp-adjusting nuts 6 are provided-on their inner faces with a series of conical recesses 26 which engage with an auand prevents the nut from becoming self-dis tomatically retractable springpressed conically pointed stud 27 fitted in a cavity in the clutchdisk C and inclosed beneath the nut, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The stud engages automatically with any one of the recesses 26 placed, but permits of its being readily turned with a wrench when desired, to afford such adjustment of the draft or clutching tension.

When in clutched reation, the rollers are carried just past the dead center lines, so that the position is self-sustaining and will not accidentally release itself,

The clutch-operating slide M consists of a sleeve or tubular hub having cars 13 that are connected by pivoted links 15 with the inner ends of the levers said links being disposed approximately parallel wi h the axis-shaft.

Surrounding said hub or slide I provide a circular collar 14 and an oppositely disposed shoulder, each having an annular rollway 16 thereon, and between the. same I arrange a loose membe' or ring 17 having rollways upon its edges, and I support the same by series of bearing-balls disposed between the or in other efl'icient manner. A stop, or

guard-collar, 25 is secured upon the axle at the outer end of the slide for arresting its motion' at the proper position.

v In the operation: When the slide M is moved forward toward the clutch-disk I) so as to carry the ends of the levers K to the po- The rollway collar 14 is sition indicated by dotted lines 2 on Fi .1,

the bearing rollers 10 act against the dis 1 D, or face of the plates 12, thereby drawing the disks 0 and D toward each other and firmly clamping the friction disk F between them, so that all the parts will rotate together, transmitting the power from the wheel B to the shaft or axle A, or vice versa. The roller 10 insures free movement of. the fulcrum bearing against the face of the disk, or its seat-plate, causing the levers to act without sticking or undue friction; thus enabling the clutch to be closed and openedby the movement of the slide and shipper fork with the greatest ease and smoothness 'of action. Furthermore, by the arrangement of levers as shown, when the clutch is at'either closed or opened position, centrifugal force, at any" degree of speed, has no effect toward throwing the levers outward so as torelease the clutch or to engage it while the parts are revolving.

The ring 17, which is held by the clutchoperating fork, by reason of its ball-bearings and its non-contact with the slide-sleeve, pe'rmits free action of-the parts without tendency to heating or excessive wear; 'since.the-' levers K ,-by reason of their rollers 10 passing the dead-center 1ine,are self-retaining and hold the sleeve at its in-clutch position without requiring any side strain or pressure against the sleeve. 19 is sustained without side pressure when the sleeve is at out-clutch position, by reason of the slide being stopped against the collar 25.

Clamping-disks and a friction-disk somewhat similar to those herein shown have been illustrated and described in my prior Letters Patent No. 712,575, and I do not therefore make claim herein broadly to the feature of such disks, or the creation of friction by the closing together of the disks; nor to the oper- In like manner the ring I ation of a'clutch by means of toggle-levers;

irrespectiveof their construction.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

rro

l. Incombination, as described, with the two clamping-disks, intervening frictiopalidisk, draft-bolts arranged in pairs and shipper slide collar; the radially disposed inwardly extending clamp-actuating levers having broad heads each pivotally connected with the heads of a pair of draft-bolts by an axis-pin passing through the same, each lcvcr provided with a fulcrum bearing roller in and extending across the face of its head, adjacent to the side of the clamping-disk, and

adapted, to throw past the dcz'uhcentcr line,

when operating the clutch: the heads of the pair of draft-bolts litting against the rcspuztivc ends ol the roller and lover-head and supporting the same, substantially asshown.

12. The combination, substantially as described, with the axis-shalt, the frictionaldisk loose on said shaft, the [)(Hl'Gf-lt'llOGl, the

,radially disposed clamp-actuating levers each having a protuberant T-head extendin between the heads of a pair of draftbots, a ivot-pin through the draft-boltheads an leverhead,said lever-heads having a protuberant face provided with a bore parallel withthe pivot-axis, a roller disposed in said bore with a portion of its cylindrical body protruding therefronr as a fulcrum support, means for preventing the escape ofsaid roller, the fulcrum-bearing-plates each mounted on two draft-bolts adj acentto said roller, a clutch operating slide, and links connecting said slide with the inner ends of said clamp-actuating levers.

3. In-a clutch actuating mechanism, the shipper-slide comprising the tubular body having the pivoting ears and extended sleeve portion provided with annular collar memers or shoulders having rollway surfaces, a loose shipper-connecting ring surrounding said sleeve and )rovided with opposite rollway surfaces, caring-balls disposed between the rollways on said ring and the rollways of said shoulders, and a nut threaded to the outer end of said sleeve for confining the eollar members.

4. In combination with the clutch-disks and clutch-operating devices, comprising the toggle lever; of the slide or shifting-collar provided with armularrollways, and a forkconnecting ring having annular grooved edges, said ring being revolubly supported by hall-bearings between said rollways, and having a space between its inner surface and ,the exterior surface of the slide.

5. The combination, of the clutch-disks, intervening frictional disk, clamp-bolts arranged in pairs connecting the clutch-disks, and clamp-actuating levers for operating said pairs of bolts, the clamp-adjusting nuts threaded upon said bolts and seated a ainst the back of the clutch-disk opposite the lever, and an automatically retractable retainin device inclosed and concealed beneath each d the nuts, and automatically engageable therewith at positions corresponding with the angles of the nut, whereby adjustment for regulating the pair of clamp-bolts can be affected to a uniform degree for the several bolts, by simple application of a wrench to the respective nuts, substantially as set forth.

\Vitness my hand this 1st day of May 1906.

MICHAEL F. MGMAHON. Witnesses:

CHAS. H. BURLEIGH, ELLA P. BLENUS. 

